Bearing seal



Aug. 31, 1965 v. L. PEICKII ETAL Aug. 31, 1965 FIG 6 United States Patent O 3,203740 BEARHIG SEAL "asalie L. Peickii, Hillsborough, and Richard C. Lund and George D. Rhoads, Redwood City, Calif., assignors to Federal-Mogul-Bower Bearings, Iran, Detroit, Miclx.,

a corporation of Michigan Filed Apr. 15, 1963, Sex. N0. 273,804 4 Claims. (C1. 308187.2)

The invention relates to an improved ball-bearing assembly and to an improved lubricant-sealing memoer for ball bearings. It also relates to a method for making the improved lubricant-sealing rnember. This application is a continuation-in-part of application Serial Number 98,362, filed March 27, 1961, now abandoned, which was a continuation-in-part of application Serial Number 29,471, filed May 16, 1960 now abandoned.

Many attempts have been made to provide ball bearings that are protected both from entry of foreign matter and from loss of lubricant. Some ball bearings employ a meta1 shield that is held by the outer race and barely clears a stepped ortion of the inner race; but while this expedient is inexpensive, it is far from fully eflective, for no attempt is made t provide an actual seal. Somewhat heiter results have been obtained by employing sealing rnembers with a leather or synthetic rubber lip that wipes the inner race; but the trouble here has been that if the 1ip is inclined in the proper direction for excluding foreign matter, it is necessarily inclined in the very direction that Will perrnit leakage of lubricant, and vice versa. T0 so1ve this problem it has been proposed to use lural lips, but heretofore there have been several objections to the use of plural-lip seals in ball bearings: (1) the use of plural lips has made the seal too Wide to be used in most standard ball bearing, assemblies; (2) during installation all the lips, in prior-art seals, tended to become inclined in the same direction, so that they did not consistently solve the roblem; (3) Whether or not the lips consistently reached a predetermined position, they produced a torque o1 drag which was intolerably large in magnitude and in the amount of variation of magnitude from one sealbearing comoination to another; (4) this torque drag tended to provide a rise in temperature in the bearing during operation; (5) this rise in temperature tended to result in thinning and drainage of the lnbricant, in addition t0 rapid oxidation, and thereby shortened tne life of the bearing; and (6) it was difiicult to get consistant Performance in an inexpensive article.

The present invention solves these problems by providing a novel dual-lip sealing element that cooperates With a novel bearing structure so as to provide effective seals in both directions-one lip sealing the lubricant in, while the other lip excludes the dirt and dust. Moreover, tl1e seal solves the space problem, fitting Within the bearing assernbly in a space only about wide. Still further, it solves the torque problem by providing a more elfective lip shape and better control.

Thus, one object of the invention is to provide a ballbearing assembly wherein (litt, dust, water and other bearing-damaging materials are excluded, even under moderately severe conditions such as are met in a hay baler or in a threshing machine.

Another object is to provide a ball-bearing assembly that retains its originally packed-in grease under normal speed conditions. (Some purging of excess grease is desired initially so as to provide lubrication for the outer lip of the seal. This is accomplished simply by adding more than the normal amount of grease. After that there is no leakage.)

Another object of the invention is to provide a seal which is easily installed in a ball-bearing.

3,203740 Patented Aug. 31, 1965 ice A further object is to provide a seal that, when installed, Will not rotate with respect to its bore in the outer race, Will not permit passage of any material between it and its bore, and Will not pop out of place.

Another object of the invention is to provide a ball bearing assembly having the maximum possible interior bearing volume, so that the grease pack may be large enough to insnre a satisfactory bearing life. This means that the seal itself should have the minimum volurne possible for any given bearing.

Another object is to provide a ball bearing Where the seal does not extend beyond the bearing face, being either flush With it o1 slightly recessed. Achievement of this object not only helps t0 protect the sealing elements against damage, both when being installed and when being shipped and handled, but also means that a bearing provided with these seals is interchangeable with a bearing having no seal.

A fur'ther object is to provide a bearing seal that can be used With existing sizes of standard ball bearings; in other W0rds, one that does not require enlargement of the overall dimensions of the bearing assembly, either in Width or in inner or outer diameter. Related t0 this object is that of providing a bearing seal that achieves great- 1y improved resnlts while calling for only a minimum amount of change in the design of the bearing assembly itself, all such changes being inexpensive and involving only simple tool revisions of negligible cost and no net increase in the cost of manufacture of the bearing assembly.

Another object of the invention is to provide a seal with sealing lips that require no trimming, bufiing, or other special and costly preparation in order to seal properly and to look right.

A corollary object of the invention is to provide a seal free from flash at locations that interfere either With proper sealing or With the good and saleable appearance of the bearing assembly.

Another object is to provide, as one embodiment, a bearing seal having an exterior surface of synthetic elasto mer, suitable for the inclusion of identifying symbols and clean and pleasing in appearance, giving an appropriate impression of the professional precision of the article.

With all ball bearing seals there is the problern of how to obtain good sealing action without an undue increase in torque. Hence, an additional object of the invention is to provide a low-torque seal; i.e., one Wherein the torque measured at 20 r.p.m. after one minute of operation, and at a bearing temperature of 68 F. does not significantly exceed the product of the outer diameter of the immer race multiplied by 20 ounces, which is a maximum inz'rial value. Normally, the torque will decrease rapidly in the first few hours and Will decrease gradually thereafter. During the major ortion of the life of the seal it Will be about the product of the outer diameter of the inner race multiplied by 5 ounces.

A related problem is that of the operating temperature of the seal, since undue friction between the seal and the bearing heats the bearing. If the bearing gets too hot the grease in the bearing will break down. In the present invention the operating temperature of the seal and bearing does not at any time exceed 185 F. and the grease is therefore not induced t0 break down. Tests indicate that the sealed bearing alone (With no load on it), operates at a temperature weil below 125 F. after running for six hours at about of the rated r.p.m. capacity of the bearin'g.

Another object of the invention is to provide a seal that will consistently accomplish all the above objects through a structure that lends itself to quality control methods.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear frum the -followimg descriptiom uf a preferred embodimemt presemted im accordamce With the statntes.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a fragmemtary emlarged view im perspective and partly in sectiom of a ball bearimg assermbly embodyimg the primciples of the presemt imvemtion and havimg a seal ermbudyimg the primciples of the imvemtium installed um ome emd thereof. Norrma1ly, there is also am idemtical seal imstal led symmetrically at the uther emd, but it has beem left uff im this view to show the bearimg strnctmre more clearly.

FIG. 2 is a further emlarged fragmemtary view in ele vatiom and im sectiun of the right-hamd emd purtion of the bearimg uf FIG. 1 shuwimg im solid limes the seal im uperatimg pus-itium. Brukem lines imdicate the normal preimstallatium shape of the sealimg elememt.

FIG. 3 -is a fragmemtary view im perspective and partly im sectiom uf the sealing elememt of FIGS. 1 and 2 before its installatiom imtu the bearimg.

FIG. 4 is a view um a rednced scale im elevatium and im sectiom uf a purtium of =a muld im which the sealimg elememt of FIG. 3 is made.

FIG. 5 is a view sirmilar to FIG. 3 uf a modified form of seal, also embudying the primciples of the imvemtium.

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 2 imcorporatimg the seal of FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is a view uf a complete ball bearimg assembly imcurporatimg the seal of FIG. 5.

The ball bearimg 10 shuwm im FIG. 1 imclndes an unter race 11, am immer race 12, a plnrality of balls 13 and a ball retaimer 14. Both the immer and unter races have smuoth emd walls 15, 16, 17 and 18, and the unter race 11 has a smuoth cylimdrical unter periphery 19 while the immer race 12 has a srnooth cylimdrical immer periphery 20. The unter race 1-1 is provided With -two seal-receiving bores 21, each havimg a hure emd Wall 22 that cnstumarily diverges frorm the radial plane by about 5 The immer race 12 is rprovided with am amnnlar ridge 24 gemerally opposite eacl1 bore 21. Preferably the ridge 24 is mot directly opposite the cemter uf the hure 21 but lies slightly ontside it; that is, oloser to the plane =uf the emd Wall (er 16) tham does the hure 21, fur reasums which will presemtly appear. The ridge 24 is curved um top and provides immer and unter beveled Walls 25 and 26. A rather wide grouve 27 separates the -ridge 25 frorn the ball-seating portiom 28 of the immer race 12.

A sealimg member 30 made accordimg to this imvemtiun is pressed imtu the hure 21 and has two lips 31 and 32, ome ridimg um each of the Walls 25 and 26 uf the ridge 24 and facimg im u.ppusite directiums, the immer lip 31 sealimg im the grease that is packed imto the space 33 mut occnpied by the balrls 13 or ball retainer 14, while the unter lip 32 exclndes dirt, dust, and other foreign matter from gaiming access tu the lubricamt 33 and tu the balls 13 and the -races 11 and 12.

L-ookimg closer at the sealimg member 30, it Will be seem that it has a reinforcimg rmember 34 cumprisimg a shalluw cmp-shapecl metal -stampimg with a gemerally radial flamge 35 of comsiderab-le extemt, and a very shurt gemerally axial flange 36 which extemds axially on-twardly of the bearimg 10. Actually the -flamge 36 is cEI'-ustocomical, taperimg untwardly abont 5. The radial flamge 35 has a radially unter radial portium 37, a radially immer radial portium 38, and a frustu-comical portium 39.

T0 the st-ampimg '34 is bonded a symthetic rubber =mermher 40 which forms the sealimg lips 3]. and 32 and a radial cuver 41 fur the axially unter face 42 of the radial -flange 35 bonded to the flange 35 and to the radially immer face uf the axial flange 36. The bomdimg gives support to the lips 31 and 32 and cumcemt-ricity tu the seal 30, both of which are nmubtaimable in seals made by clampimg am elastomeric memb :r to a case.

The twu lips 31 and 32 are preferably uf the same diameter, although ome may 'be smaller tham the uther if desired, and they are separated frorm each other by a groove 43. Sharp and flashless curmers 44 and 45 are pruvided 0m the lips 31, 32 adjacemt tu the gruove 43, preferably 90 or With as sharp a radins as is physically possible, fur these corners 44, 45 perfurm the searling acti-um im contact with the ridge walls 25 and 26 of the bearimg immer race12.

Molding flash is permissible at the immer cormer 46 but mot at the eormers 44 and 45 nur the unter cormer 47. Moldimg flash is also not .permissible at the radially and axially unter cormer 48 but is perrmissible at the emd 49 of the axial flange 36, and tight flash is permissible at the exposed imside snrfaee 50 -of the flamge 35. The imside snrface 50 of the flamge 35 and the tapered radiarlly unter face 51 of the flamge 36 may be used to locate the metal case 34 im the mold 52 showm im FIG. 4. The groove 43 stops far emongh away frum the immer emd ur pierce 53 of the radial flamge 35 to allow easy flow of the rubber xfor fillimg the immer lip 31 durimg moldimg, a diametral difieremce of abont 0.060 inch beimg adeqnate fur this purpose. It is desirable that the flamge 35 extemd close to the lips 31, 32 im order 10 give good snppurt to them.

As shuwm in FIG. 4,'the mold 52 imoludes a lower menrber 54 that is fnlly seated agaimst the fr'ace 50 except at the radially immer emd thereuf, am npper mermber 55 rmeetimg the lower member 54 -with a par-t lime 56 (i.e. a place Where there cam be flash) at the cormer 46, the extemt -uf flash heilig kept small by the short lemgth of the part lime 56 leading imto a cavity 57, and an ammular unter or rim1 member 58 meeting the up;per rmember 55 at the cormer 49 and the lower menrber 54 at the cormer where the purtiums 37 and 36 meet, so that amy flash is forrmed at a part line 59 at the cormer 49 and is kept short by the closely adjoimimg cavity 60.

Thns the method of makimg the mernber 30 cumprises moldimg the elastumer to the case while permitting flash tu furm umly alumg very shurt limes at the eurmers 46 and 49.

Im imstallatiun, the sealimg elememt 30 is pressed imtu place in the hure 21. The seal 30 is held im place by imterferemce cf the metal purtiom 36 with the immer Wall of the hure. The 5 taper serves to provide press-fit interference which is axially away frorn the bemd joimimg the portioms 36 and 37, thereby eoumteractimg amy temdemcy fur the seal to dish axially at its immer periphery.

Simce the seal 30 is made im a Single molding, there is a fixed relatiom between the lips 31 and 32 and the buttorm of the case mermber 34 that provides the axial lucatiom poimt fur the seal. The accnracy of the axial locatiom uf these lips 31 and 32 is therefore depemdemt umly um that 0f the bearimg strnctnre which is customarily quite good. The accuracy of this axial locatium is qnite importamt im a seal uf this type simce there is relatively little imterferemce at the lip curmers 44 and 45. Im must cases it is desirable for the imterferemce at the unter cormer 45 to be equal to er slightly more than that uf the immer cormer 44; im the presemt imvemtiom this relatium is comtrolled by the axial placerment uf the amnniar ridge 24.

Radial locatiom is a cemterimg actiom imheremt thruugh the assembly of twu comcemtric objects.

Due to the desigm of the seal 30 and the ridge 24, the immer lip 31 is deflected imwardly tu seal im the grease, and the unter lip 32 is deflected outwardly to seal out fureign matter. Whem, um imstallatiom, the immer lip 31 is forced over the ridge 24, it antumatically has tu deflect untwardly, but omce the unter cormer 46 uf the lip 31 has gune beyomd the crest of the ridge 24 im am axially imward directium, the resiliemce of the rubber material canses it to atternpt to regaim its original shape by smappimg fnrther imward to the positiom shown. The pnrpuse uf the gruove 27 is simply tu emable the lip 31 to clear, but it would mot really be a gruove if its diameter were not smaller tham that uf the portiom 28. The angle uf imclimatium of the surfaces 25 and 26 to the vertical may be varied, but a 45 angle or inclimatiom has beem fuumd useful.

The structure of the Saal 30 enables it to be made very marrow, the cormer 47 lyimg im the plane of the cover 41 before imstallatiom and imwardly from the emd Wall surfaces 15, 17 or 16, 18 whem installed, and the lip corner 47 still not extemdimg beyomd those surfaces a1: amy poimt o1 time after imstallatiom. This helps to prevemt accidemtal damage to the lip during hamdlimg or use.

The rubber coatimg 41 011 the surface 37 serves to cover the outer surface 42 of the metal for simplified moldimg and also to protect it frorn corrosion, and to provide a cleam surface pleasimg im appearamce, 0m which idemtificatiom imformation may be placed. The immer lip 31 is joimed to the case 34 for firm support, the imsteppimg of the case portiom 39 prevemting excessive width cf the seal at the poimt where the ball retaimer 14 is widest.

Adaptation of the bea;rimg to use the seal of this type requires a change only in the configuratiom of the immer race 12 and a slight change at that, which imvolves negligible toolimg chamges, and m0 change im the cost of the bearimg, simce this shape may be established by a form tool and meed not, im most cases, be groumd. Am abrasive tumble after machimimg and hardemimg is useful to remove burrs or microscopic tooth from these surfaces. A srnoother surface helps to keep imitial seal torque to a mimimum and rmeet the bearimg operating temperature and life requirememts.

This seal may be made im widths as small as 0.062 imch and is therefore a smitable desigm for practically amy ball bearimg meedimg sealimg umder moderate comditioms.

The sealimg member of FIGS. 5-7 has two lips 61 and 62, ome ridimg 0m each of the Walls 25 and 26 of the ridge 24 and facimg im opposite directioms. The immer lip 61 seals im the grease that is packed imto the space 63 not occupied by the balls 13 or ball-retaimer 14, while the outer lip 62 excludes dirt, dust, and other foreign matter from gaimimg access to the lubricamt 63 and to the balls 13 and the races 11 and 12. The sealimg member 60 has a reimforcimg member 64 comprisimg a shallow cup-shaped metal stampimg with a gemerally radial flamge 65 of considerable extent, and a very short gemerally axial flamge 66 which extemds axially outwardly of the bearimg. Like the flamge 36, the flamge 66 is frustocomical, taperimg omtwardly about 5. The radial flamge 65 has a radially outer radial portiom 67, a radially immer radial portiom 68, and a frusto-comical ortion 69.

T0 the stampimg 64 is bomded a symthetic rubber wember 70 which forrns the sealimg lips 61 and 62 and is bonded to the flange 65 so as to give support to the lips 61 and 62 and comcemtricity to the seal 60. The axially immer surface 71 of the member 70 is comcave to afford clearamce for the comvex side of the ball retainer 14. The outer surface 72 stops at an edge 73 mear the upper part of the portiom 68, leavimg the outer surfaces of the portions 67 and 69 free of elastorner. The portiom 66 can upom imstallatiom be easily formed or spum, as showm im FIG. 6, to fit a comvemtiomal bearing groove 74.

Agaim, the two lips 61 and 62 are preferably of the sarne diameter, although ome may be srnaller tham the other if desired, and they are separated frorn each other by a groove 75. Slightly roumded and flashless corners 76 and 77 are provided 0m the lips 61, 62 adjacemt to the groove 75, preferably with as sharp a radius as is physically possible, for these corners 76, 77 perform the sealimg actiom im contaet With the ridge Walls 25 and 26 of the bearimg immer race 12.

Moldimg flash is permissible at the immer corner 78 and a1: the outer cormer 79 but not at the corners 76 and 77. Moldimg flash is also permissible at the emd 73 of the portiom 72, and tight flash is permissible at the emd of the comcave portiom 71. The outside surface 80 of the flamge 65 may be used to locate the metal case 64 in the mold.

In imstallatiom the sealimg element 60 is pressed into place im the groove 74 and held im place thereby. The tapered portion 66 helps in imstaliation and whem it is bemt imto shape the seal 60 is held firmly im place. As showm in FIGS. 6 and 7, the bea.rimg emds at a Wall 81 mear the emd of the ridge 24, and this is a more normal situatiom tham that showm in FIG. 1. The meed for a compact seal also is evem more pressimg tham im the bearimg 10 of FIG. 1, and the imvemtiorr provides that compactmess. Omce again accuracy and comcemtricity are imsured, and the marrow seal eifectively seals im lubricamt while sealimg out dirt.

T0 those skilied in the art to which this imvemtiom relates, mamy additional chamges im comstruction and wideiy difierimg embodiments of the imventiom will suggest thernselves without departimg from the spirit and scope of the imvemtiom as defimed im the claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a ball bearimg assembly havimg am outer race with immer and outer surfaces, am immer race With immer and outer surfaces, balls between said races, and a ball retaimer also betweem said races, the combimatiom there- With of am ammular ridge 0m the outer surface of said immer race providimg a larger diameter circuiar portiom between two portioms of smaller diameter, said immer surface of said outer race havimg a seal-receivimg portiom gemerally opposite said ridge, and a lubricamt retaimer havimg a shallow cup-shaped reimforcimg rimg of metal With a lomg radially extemdimg flamge and a short radially outer axially outwardly extemdimg flange with a free edge, seated im said seal-receivimg portiom, and am elastomeric member bomded to said rimg and havimg a pair of lips 0m the immer periphery emgagimg opposite sides of said ridge im a rotary sealimg emgagernemt therewith and flexed by said ridge axialiy away from each other said lips being separated by a groove, the other edge of said reimforcimg rimg beimg seated im said elastormeric member radially with the axis of said groove.

2. A lubricant retaimer, comprisimg a shallow eupshaped reimforcimg rimg of metal with a lomg generally radial flamge and a short radially outer gemerally axial fiange with a free edge, and am elastormeric member bonded to said radial flamge and havimg a pair cf radially extemdimg sealimg lips 0m the immer periphery separated by a radial groove the other edge of said reimforcimg rimg beimg seated in said elastomeric member radially with the axis of said groove.

3. A lubricamt retaimer, comprisimg a shallow eupshaped reinforcimg rimg of metal with a lomg gemerally radial flamge and a short radially outer gemerally axial flamge With a free edge, said radial flamge havimg immer and outer radial plamar portioms comnected by a frustocomical portiom extemding axially im the same directiom as said gemerally axial flamge, and am elastomeric member bonded thereto and coverimg the side of said radial flange 0m the same side as said axial flamge with a plamar portiom and havimg am outer peripheral portiom meetimg the free edge of said axial flamge flush therewith, said axial portiom havimg a frusto-comical outer periphery divergimg outwardly toward said free edge at about 5, and a pair of sealimg lips 0m the immer periphery, each lyimg im a radial plane, ome coplamar with said plamar portion, the other coplamar with said outer radial plamar ortion of said radial flamge said lips beimg divided by a groove im lime with said immer radial planar portiom, said lips havimg flash-free sharp immer corners 0m the opposite sides of said groove.

4. The retaimer of clairn 3 whereim the flash of said elastomeric portiom is comfimed to the outer cormer of the lip coplamar With said outer radial plamar portiom and to the meetimg With said free edge of said gemerally axial fiamge.

Referemces Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,560669 11/25 Demnedy 277- X 1,731958 10/29 Wickstrom 277-95 X (Other referemees 0m foliowimg page) UNITED STATES PATENTS Fay 308187.2 X Bermingham 308187.1 Workman 308-187.2

Dickinson 308187.2

Sullivan 277168 8 FOREIGN PATENTS 1178954 7/55 France.

546,260 7/42 Great Britain. 581232 10/46 Great Britain.

DON A. WAITE, Primary Examiner.

ROBERT C. RIORDON, Examz'ner. 

1. IN A BALL BEARING ASSEMBLY HAVING AN OUTER RACE WITH INNER AND OUTER SURFACES, AN INNER RACE WITH INNER AND OUTER SURFACES, BALLS BETWEEN SAID RACES, AND A BALL RETAINER ALSO BETWEEN SAID RACES, THE COMBINATION THEREWITH OF AN ANNULAR RIDGE ON THE OUTER SURFACE OF SAID INNER RACE PROVIDING A LARGER DIAMETER CIRCULAR PORTION BETWEEN TWO PORTIONS OF SMALLER DIAMETER, SAID INNER SURFACE OF SAID OUTER RACE HAVING A SEAL-RECEIVING PORTION GENERALLY OPPOSITE SAID RIDGE, AND A LUBRICANT RETAINER HAVING A SHALLOW CUP-SHAPED REINFORCING RING OF METAL WITH A LONG RADIALLY EXTENDING FLANGE AND A SHORT RADIALLY OUTER AXIALLY OUTWARDLY EXTENDING FLANGE WITH A FREE EDGE, SEATED IN SAID SEAL-RECEIVING PORTION, AND AN ELASTOMERIC MEMBER BONDED TO SAID RING AND HAVING A PAIR OF LIPS ON THE INNER PERIPHERY ENGAGING OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID RIDGE IN A ROTARY SEALING ENGAGEMENT THEREWITH AND FLEXED BY SAID RIDGE AXIALLY AWAY FROM EACH OTHER SAID LIPS BEING SEPARATED BY A GROOVE, THE OTHER EDGE OF SAID REINFORCING RING BEING SEATED IN SAID ELASTOMERIC MEMBER RADIALLY WITH THE AXIS OF SAID GROOVE. 